Prohibition Of Love —

heart-surrounded-by-barbed-wire

There are sins that are not crimes. There are sins that are crimes. There are good reasons that government is biblically limited to punishing crime.

When we are forced to do some act, we are now prohibited from using that act as an expression of love. It is only possible for any action to be an act of love, if we have the option to freely refrain from that action. To be clear, the word “love” we are using in this article is not “affection” and it is not “infatuation.” This love is not an emotion. Love is a verb. Love is an action. This love is when you want the best for another person, and your actions, on their behalf, are based on that intent. It is godly love.

When government strays from their focus on punishing crime and forcefully takes our resources to “give” to the needy, this is a prohibition of love. The citizen’s money does not belong to the government, so it is not theirs to give. Much the same as when Herod gave the head of John the Baptist — it was not his to give. When I have the choice to give to the needy, and I do so of my own free will, that allows me to express my love through my actions.

Sometimes, when one neglects a duty, it is criminal negligence, and this would be a matter for the government to address. Other times, negligence is not a crime. When the government forces us to do something, outside the context of crime, this is a prohibition of love.

To illustrate the concept, here are a couple of examples.

When I am forced to say, “I love my king,” with gun held to my wife’s head, then the words I have said lose their meaning. Maybe I do love my king. But, when I am forced to say it, then my words are no longer an expression of love.

Here is an example at the other extreme; more frivolous. What if the government made a law requiring me to give flowers to my wife every Friday. The effect of this law is a prohibition of love. I can no longer express love to my wife on Fridays by giving her flowers.

As more requirements are put in place, we have less options and resources to express our love.

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